CoG: Strongest of Nine, Eldest of Four
by NorthSouthGorem
Summary: The age of the Four Horsemen has passed. Angels, Demons, Charred Council, all are gone. Yet the spirit of Death lingers, uncaring of his own fate. Enter Uzumaki Naruto, who is desperate to survive. Something sparks in Death: interest. What could happen if they worked together? Smart-ish Naruto, sarcastic, eventually powerful. NaruHina, smallish harem. A Chronicle of the Gormim?


AN: What with the epicness-with-a-capital-EPICNESS that is Darksiders 2, I've been thinking about writing something like this. Let's see if this gets anywhere.

"Speech"  
Text  
_Thoughts_  
_Inner being to outer being_  
**Bijuu/Jinchuuriki/Reaper form/Death-spirit**  
**Jutsu/Spell/Technique**

Chapter 1: Remnants of the Final End

Long ago, before the great demon known as the Juubi remade the world, there was a power that was feared throughout creation. This was the power of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Strife, Fury, War, Death. While these four were not the literal personifications of their name, the brutality they wrought made it a moot point.

But, as with all things, their era, that of Angels and Demons, eventually passed. Death claimed all of the races, even the Four. Humanity, however, continued to thrive, developing powers of their own. Rather than the magic of the Old Ones, they harnessed chakra, the energy within them, and none remembered any tales of those that had gone before.

That is not to say, however, that the Four Horsemen vanished altogether. Time might have claimed their bodies, but their spirits survived in the tools that they carried with them.

It is unknown what became of Strife, War and Fury, but the spirit Death eventually found a safe place to lay itself to rest, away from the troubles of the living, though most of his power was inaccessible to him. So he slept. However, Death knew to sleep with one eye open, so to speak, and be ready for any who might come across him. Not that it would do any good, but a good warrior is always on guard. Even in death.

Decades later, the Shodaime Hokage established Konohagakure no Sato. In doing so, many training grounds were created. The Shinobi of the village quickly noticed, however, that the creatures that lurked in a certain section of forest tended to not only grow to unnatural sizes, but also become highly aggressive and dangerous. So that particular area was fenced off and labeled as 'Training Ground 44,' or the Forest of Death.

Had Death been around to hear about it, he might have been mildly amused.

Decades passed. It became an unspoken tradition in Konoha to use the Forest of Death in the Chunin Exams. Still, no one ever discovered the resting place of the dead Nephil.

Until, one day, that very thing happened.

.

Uzumaki Naruto was quite a few things. He was an orphan, with no idea who his parents were. He was the container of one of the most powerful demons of all time, the Kyuubi no Yoko. He was one of the most hated (or at least highly disliked) people in the village. He was a Genin of Konohagakure no Sato.

He was also not having a very good day.

It had started out with he and his team had entered the place known as the Forest of Death, the second test in the Chunin Exams. He, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura had to find the partner of the scroll that they carried and make it to the center of the forest in five days. Alive. At first, they'd been confident that it wouldn't be so hard.

Then some jackass enemy decided to blast them with a Fuuton jutsu. Naruto, _of course,_ was blown god-knows-how-far before landing. Then a giant snake swallowed him whole.

After spamming Kage Bunshin until the damn thing exploded, Naruto had gone to find his teammates.

It turned out that the two of them had run afoul of some freaky, snake-like guy from Kusagakure. He'd summoned a giant snake which was going to eat Sasuke.

Naruto had jumped in and stopped the snake, snapping the Uchiha out of whatever cowardly funk he was in. There followed a brief fight with the summoner, whose name was Orochimaru, which ended with Naruto being branded with a seal that cut off his 'secondary chakra source.' It also completely drained him of energy; he was only barely aware of Orochimaru throwing him aside. He distantly heard Sakura scream as he fell.

He fell for a long time. It seemed that he'd been thrown off of the tree entirely

Oh shit. He was gonna die. That would suck majorly.

And then he hit the ground.

*Wham!*

Naruto's mouth stretched in a silent scream of agony as he landed hard on the forest floor, breaking quite a few ribs and driving all the air out of his lungs. He writhed on the ground in pain, trying not to cry out even as air returned to him. Not for the first time, he cursed his resilience to damage. Not only that, but the Kyuubi wouldn't be able to heal him now.

A sudden chill passed over him, even as he raised himself onto his hands and knees. He could still very well die here, though the fall hadn't killed him outright. Perhaps he should take shelter?

_That tree over there looks good,_ he thought. He staggered to his feet and over to a particularly large tree. In fact, it was the one that he had fought Orochimaru on top of. There was a large gap between its roots. Perhaps if he squeezed between them…

This proved more difficult than he thought. Trying to get through a small space with broken ribs was a bad idea, causing him to groan with pain and stop.

Within the tree, something stirred. Someone was outside, trying to get in. For the first time in centuries, Death had a thought. Something had aroused his curiosity. Should the spirit let him in?

As he slumped against the tree, the bark suddenly split and gave way, causing him to cry out in surprise as he tumbled through it and landed on his side. "What the hell?" he asked quietly, lying on his side. It seemed that the tree was hollow on the inside. As he shakily raised himself onto all fours, he looked around. His earlier thoughts were true; the tree was indeed hollow. In fact, it seemed to be slightly larger than from the outside, though that might just have been perspective. A weak sliver of light came in through the crack behind him, allowing him to see the area, even if a little.

The first thing Naruto noticed was that it was dusty. Really, really dusty. The air was thick with it and his hands and knees were gray from touching the floor. The second bit was that the ground itself was different, dust notwithstanding. Unlike the uneven dirt and woodchips outside the tree, in here the ground was flat and smooth. Under the thick coating of dust, it seemed to be made of stone.

Then, finally, something else caught his eye. A small object that lay just outside the ray of light; he could only see a small part of it. It looked flat, but curved, and pale.

**...You...**

Naruto stilled, his heartbeat picking up. It was so faint, he could have blamed it on the nonexistent wind. A voice, whispering in his ear.

But now it came again, slightly louder, and he could not ignore it. **You there...who are you?** There was curiosity in the voice.

He gulped, sweat dripping down his forehead.

**Speak, youngling!** the voice commanded sharply and impatiently. Naruto felt a thrill of terror as he thought he saw the small object twitch ever so slightly. For a brief instant, there might have been two orange glowing dots in the darkness.

"N-Naruto-ttebayo..." he said quickly, nervously, his voice loud in the suddenly oppressive silence, "Uzumaki Naruto!"

The silence, the pressure, seemed to ease up a little. Naruto thought he heard a sigh. Then the voice spoke again, even louder in his ear, yet somehow he knew that it was not being directly spoken. **So, young 'Naruto,' what brings you to this place? Why have you disturbed my tomb?** By now Naruto could tell that the voice was rather unique. It was, for lack of a better word, dark, and somehow smooth and rough at the same time. **Bring me into the light, boy.** He hastened to comply, taking the object and pulling it near so he could take a look at it.

He blinked. "A mask?" he asked quietly, for that was indeed what it was. It was slightly curved so that the smooth inner surface would fit onto one's face. The top half was deeply scored, with gaping eye-sockets that evoked the image of a skull. Beneath that, however, was only a smooth blankness where a mouth would be on a normal skull. Naruto shivered as he realized the mask was made out of a solid piece of bone. "Are you a ghost?" He asked tremulously. He'd never liked the idea of ghosts.

**So to speak,** murmured the voice, **Not quite what you consider a ghost, but close enough that the difference is almost nothing. Oh, fear not, whelp. I am dead, and have not the desire to harm you.** There was a pause. **Yet.**

Naruto gulped again, but did not put down the mask. "Who are you? Eh, if you don't mind my asking..."

**Oh? Has it been so long that my mask is unrecognizable? Alright then, 'Naruto,' I will indulge you. As of now, I am nothing of consequence. A mere shadow of a spirit, lingering about an old mask. However, when I lived...I was the eldest of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The Reaper of Souls, the Ender of Worlds, Slayer of Kin!** The voice dropped to a velvety whisper. **I've no real preference as to what you should call me; it matters not now. However, if you insist, you may call me by my simplest, most common name. It's a shame you don't know it, when all who live ultimately do. But no matter...I am Death.**

The blond quirked his head and wiped the sweat from his brow, curious despite himself. "Reaper of Souls? Ender of Worlds? Death? Does that make you the Shinigami or something?"

There was definitely some sort of snort. **The God of Death? No, nothing so quaint. I am, or was, definitely not a God. I am merely Death. Dead Death, in fact. Ironic, isn't it?** Naruto couldn't help but laugh, wincing at the pain in his ribs. **Ah. Are you injured?** Death asked.

"Ah, yeah. I think I broke some ribs when that snake bastard threw me off that tree. That and he sealed off the Kyuubi, so now the damn fox can't heal me."

**Fox?**

He frowned. "Where have you been for the past- Oh." He broke off, having realized the question was quite stupid, and Death didn't seem the type to suffer fools. "Well, thirteen years ago this village, Konohagakure, was attacked by the Kyuubi no Yoko, and it did a lot of damage. Our leader, the Yondaime Hokage, was able to seal it away, but died doing it."

Death connected the dots readily. **He sealed it in you, I suppose?**

"Mm." (Yeah)

**Why?**

Naruto opened his mouth to answer, but paused. "I...don't know," he admitted, "I guess he had no choice at the time. Anyway, I can't ask him. He's dead."

At this point, Death could have pointed out that the dead did not always have to remain that way. Instead, he said, **And this Demon Fox...what benefits does it grant by being sealed inside you?** Grudgingly, he had to admit that his curiosity was aroused. Under other circumstances he would never have bothered to speak to this young human. However right now he was, pun intended, bored to death.

"Well," Naruto scratched his chin, "Apparently I can tap into its power, but I've only done that once, when I was really angry. Also, the fox apparently heals my injuries faster than with normal people, but it's been sealed off."

**Hn.** The specter lapsed into silence. The world, it seemed, had changed a great deal in his brethren's absence, if humans were capable of sealing a demon into another human. **What manner of magic can you do, boy?** he asked.

Taken aback, the blond blinked. "Magic? Oh, you mean chakra and Jutsu?"

**I've never heard those terms. Describe them.** Hesitantly, Naruto explained how chakra worked and how Shinobi used it to perform Jutsu. **Hm...so, it is different from magic, but not by much,** Death murmured, **I wonder...**

"Wonder what?"

For a moment, nothing. Then, **Do you have comrades, boy?**

Naruto grimaced. "Well, I have my teammates."

**I take it you don't get along.**

"Not really. I sort of like Sakura-chan, but she only hits me and calls me stupid."

**Sounds charming.**

"Shut it, Bonehead." He paused. "Though...you're not wrong."

**Hmph. I rarely am. Is there anyone else? Someone who you would fight for?**

"Of course! There's Iruka-sensei, the old man and Ayame-chan from Ichiraku's, the old Hokage..." he trailed off, "...That's it, really. No one else really likes me, or even cares."

**No one?** asked Death, slightly surprised. He was no stranger to being disliked or even hated, it came with being one of the Four Horsemen, but such a boy would surely not garner such hate, would he?

Naruto opened his mouth to say that, no, there was no one...but paused. "Well...I...I think there might be one other person. There's this one girl, around my age; I've never spoken to her before, but a day or so ago she offered to help me in this test."

**What sort of test?**

"Oh, we had just to answer these really tough questions." He chuckled nervously. "It turns out we were supposed to cheat in the first place, but I didn't figure that out, so I was stuck. But then, Hinata...out of nowhere she offered to let me copy off of her."

**Mm,** Death grunted.

Naruto deadpanned at the bone mask. "Am I boring you?" he asked.

If there had been eyes in the holes, he was pretty sure they would have been rolling. **There's a reason my name is Death, dolt. I've no interest in the romantic lives of a pair of humans, even the one to whom I may lend my power.**

The blond opened his mouth to make a smart remark and paused. Had he heard that right? "Huh?"

**Oh dear, did I say that out loud?** asked the possessed mask with mocking innocence, before becoming slightly more serious, **Well boy, to make a long story short, I'm offering you the power once wielded by one of the most feared warriors in existence, if not one of the strongest. That is to say, **_**my**_** power. What do you say?**

In most situations, Naruto would've blindly agreed on the spot. Maybe. But in this situation, with one of his biggest trump cards (so to speak) no longer working and with some rather painful injuries, the Uzumaki was more wary. Such an offer, out of the blue, was rather suspicious. And despite what he projected to the world, he was no fool. "Why the sudden offer?" he asked, "I'm pretty sure you're not doing it out of the kindness of your heart, not that you even have one. And why me, anyway?"

Dark, raspy chuckling filled the dust-thick air, though in reality there was no sound. **Good. You're thinking it through. I knew you were smarter than that. Well...to be honest, I'm bored. You can surely tell that I've nothing to do here; I am only a dead shade, haunting a relic of a time gone. But I've still got my mind, and therefore my power. But again, I'm dead, my brothers and sister are dead; what use have I for my own power? But you...you live. There was a time when you humans were driven to extinction, did you know that? My brother, War, was accused of being the one responsible for your weak people dying off. I knew better, though, so I sought to erase his supposed crime by bringing you back. As you can see, I succeeded. In a way, all you humans are a part of my legacy. While the rest of the beings of my time are long gone, you, **_**you humans are still alive!**_** And I sense great potential in you, Uzumaki Naruto. You, who were chosen to carry a great burden, you will make for an interesting life to watch. So, to you I offer my power, my scythe, my magic, my knowledge, my mind. You, a human despised among humans, shall become a force to be reckoned with!**

"And what do you want me to do, if I agree to this?" Naruto asked doggedly, "I want to become strong enough to protect my precious people."

**Then do that,** Death said simply, **Power is power. What you choose to do with mine is of no concern to me. Will you take up my mask?**

Naruto thought about it for a long time. By this point, his ribs no longer bothered him as much; the pain was still there, but he'd become able to ignore it. He wondered what it would be like to be able to perform magic, which from the sound of it was quite different. And an awesome weapon like a scythe? Kickass! But what sort of price would he have to pay for making a deal with this spirit? Finally, he said, "If I do this, what happens to you?"

**Oh, I'll probably come to rest in your head or something,** Death said unconcernedly, **Maybe that fox you mentioned will be good for conversation...though I doubt it.**

"Can't help you there," sighed the boy, "So, let's do this. I'd like to get out of this forest alive, thanks."

**Mm.**

"...So, how do we do this?"

Death 'shrugged.' **I have not the slightest idea. Physical contact seems like a good step. Maybe some sort of incantation- I'll handle that. Let's just try what feels natural, I suppose.**

Blinking in befuddlement, Naruto set the mask on the ground in front of him, though he kept his hand on it. Suddenly, the bone object quivered under his palm, and whispering arose from it. Sounds that barely even resembled syllables, they darted and weaved in his ears, forming...something. Unbidden, without thinking, Naruto began to speak, the words coming to him as he said them. As he did so, Death began to chant as well, in a language he could understand.

"Hated and despised, I have climbed my way out of despair."

**Feared and unstoppable, I have butchered all who stood before me.**

Wind began to blow within the tree trunk, the thick dust lifted and whirling around them.

"I am a Genin of Konohagakure no Sato. The Vessel of the Kyuubi no Yoko."

**I am the eldest of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The Ender of Worlds.**

"I am young, so am unknown to many."

**All who live know my name.**

"I am...Uzumaki Naruto!"

**I am Death.**

And now the wind roared around them, and Naruto had to squint through the mass of gray dust in the air. Miraculously, he wasn't choking on it. Beneath his hand, the bone mask cracked. The blond spoke again, inspiration coming to him, though he knew not where from. Perhaps it was from hearing Death's earlier badass introduction, but this one felt...just as deep, somehow.

"Stagnation is my birth. When calm, I am still and silent. When agitated, I roar and blind and choke."

The crack widened and spread, more cracks marring the surface.

"An acquaintance of Travelers, yet never a friend. I am what dwells in the tombs of ancient kings. I am what's left after the fire goes out."

The mask splintered beneath his hand.

"I am the wake of every corpse. I am Death's Legacy, a mere hint of his past."

His skin was slowly turning gray as the dust stuck to it, though it seemed to fade after a moment.

"I am-"

But at that moment, the mask suddenly shattered into a hundred pieces. With unnatural accuracy, they shot out from under his hand, up, and buried themselves in the right side of his chest. Naruto cried out in pain and fell to his side as what felt like fiery daggers pierced him, digging deeper into his body, and even past that. However, he managed to shout out the last of his 'chant' before falling into unconsciousness.

"I. Am. **Dust!"**

As darkness claimed him, he heard Death chuckling. **Dust, eh? Well, I suppose this place is full enough of it. Still, with a name like that, you'll have a little ways to go before you can become me...**

The wind died down and the dust settled, all of it on Naruto, covering him from head to foot in a gray blanket.

What would emerge from there?

What manner of being would be unleashed on the world?

.

AN: And bam! A little portentous, but a good enough ending nonetheless. Now obviously, I won't make this TOO much of a priority, but I'll definitely still write it.

NOTE: While I have played Darksiders II, I have only gotten to the Kingdom of the Dead. I know absolutely nothing about the story past that point! Well, just about nothing... Most of my knowledge of Death's abilities comes from both the game and the novel Darksiders: The Abomination Vault.

Summary:

1. Death is dead, along with the other Horsemen. Basically, any of the beings from Darksiders-verse will not be used.  
2. Well, the Forest of Death had to get the way it did somehow!  
3. Yeah, I basically glossed over Naruto getting beaten by Orochimaru. Basically, you all know how it went down already, so what's the fuss?  
4. Naruto finds Death. Big surprise, right?  
5. I hope I did a good job portraying Death. Also, the description of his voice is literally the way it sounds to me. Michael Wincott does an amazing Death.  
6. Since Death is, well, dead, he's also very bored. You would be too if the only thing you had to look at was your own mask.  
7. Naruto's very resistant/tolerant to pain. That's my story and I'm sticking to it, anyway.  
8. Yeah, that's right. Death gives Naruto his power because he literally has nothing better to do.  
9. What'd you think of the chants? Cool, right? Think of Dust as a sort of lower level name than Death for Naruto. Over time, he'll gain better names, going higher and higher up the hierarchy until he reaches Death. In the meantime, YES, I know Dust is the name of the Crow. So?

So, here's some stuff to hopefully answer your questions.  
Naruto's abilities: He'll have access to a lot of magic that Death can use (He'll have a special affinity for manipulating dust), including the stuff from the game, Necromancy, and the Harvester, of course. And yeah, he'll get Dust the Crow and Despair in time.  
Pairing: NaruHina, with the possibility of a small harem. Don't like it? LIVE WITH IT.  
The other Horsemen: I already know who those'll be, if I actually include them.

So, if you have any other questions, please leave them either in a review or PM. If you leave them in a review, however, _please_ make sure I'll be able to respond to it. Unless you're just flaming, in which case you may kiss my ass.

Is that all? Yeah, I think so. North South out.


End file.
